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Drinking alcohol might help you fall asleep but it won’t keep you there

Having a few drinks before bed might seem like a good way to ensure some shut-eye but an ACU study has found doing so can be quite bad for your sleep health.

In a meta-analysis looking at impact of alcohol on sleep, Dr Carissa Gardiner from the SPRINT Research Centre looked at how differing amounts of alcohol can impact sleep.

She found that even small amounts of alcohol – consuming two to three drinks within three hours of bedtime – can have a significant effect on sleep quality.

Research has shown that alcohol disrupts the natural sleep cycle by reducing the amount of rapid eye movement, or REM sleep, a crucial phase associated with dreaming and cognitive restoration.

Additionally, it can contribute to fragmented and lighter sleep, leading to increased wakefulness during the night. This in turn affects our concentration, mood and alertness the next day.

Dr Gardiner, a postdoctoral fellow, said even small to moderate alcohol consumption close to bedtime can interfere with the body's ability to enter deeper, more restorative sleep stages.

“Be aware during the festive season about the impact that alcohol consumption will have on your sleep, the more you drink the worse it is,” she said.

“At this time of time year, people increase the frequency and amount that they're drinking and may not understand that their sleep is going to suffer.

“You may think that the more you drink, the faster you will get to sleep but in fact a high intake has a worse effect on REM sleep, leaving you to feel somewhat tired and dazed the next day. The reality is that your ability to sleep gets worse the more you drink.”

Media Contact: Elisabeth Tarica, Australian Catholic University on 0418 756 941 or elisabeth.tarica@acu.edu.au